High on Life 2
I worked on High on Life 2 as a Senior Level Designer II. I mentored multiple junior/mid level designers, worked closely under the design director to design puzzle mechanics and the puzzles themselves, and lastly owned multiple campaign and hub levels throughout the game.
Zoo Arcadia Hub Traversal Content Example (Work in progress)
Zoo Arcadia Playthrough Golden Path (Timestamped)
Zoo Arcadia and the Spaceforest Cafe was one of the first levels I owned when coming onto the High on Life 2 project. I was the owning level designer and worked closely with an assigned content designer, combat designer, and environment artist. This level reminded me of my childhood days loving the Zoo Tycoon series and Planet Zoo where I’d just build and build, except this time I got to build a dream zoo in a weird, funky space universe! This level had to be crafted carefully due to this being the first main campaign mission that the player experiences - pacing was important due to multiple tutorial needs including combat and puzzle mechanics.
Zoo Arcadia also doubled as one of the game’s hubs; therefore, I also had to design optional areas with tons of skateboard traversal options. Skateboarding was a core element in High on Life 2 and the hubs needed to support later skateboard abilities the player received.
High Level View:
Created in UE5
Blockout work and composition from scratch to finish
Intensive traversal design for the skateboard on areas outside of the golden path to support revisit hub content
Encounter blockout work and close collaboration with the combat designer
Boss arena designs
Utilized blueprints to script various tutorials
Utilize concept art to follow a specific direction from the Game Director and match the vision
Provided support and worked with the mission design department for narrative beats
Iteration and cuts to appropriately scope for timeline
Worked closely with environment art over multiple passes and set dressed specific areas such as the animal exhibits
Larry Pinkstock Playthrough (Timestamped)
I owned the main level the first part of this mission takes place in - the Harbor. The Harbor serves as another one of the game’s main hubs that the player comes back to continuously. Tons of side content and traversal content is littered throughout the map, as well as multiple main mission starting locations.
High Level View:
Created in UE5
Layout work and composition
Encounter blockout work and close collaboration with the combat designer
Worked closely with side content designer to make sure a variety of metroidvania-style mechanics could be explored later by the player, and ensuring how they fit into the hub
Multiple passes at skateboard traversal and configuring how the entire level connects - goal was to almost have the player never needing to touch the ground once they unlocked all of their skateboard abilities
Support for combat designers and mission designers for various main missions in the game
Designed specific puzzles that can be encountered throughout the level
Collision work to support better skateboard traversal and to support the art team’s deadlines
Spaceforest Cafe & Wyoming Playthrough (Timestamped)
The Spaceforest Cafe is found in Zoo Arcadia (the hub I mentioned earlier) and leads to a brand new level that I also owned - Wyoming. Wyoming was probably my favorite story beat throughout the game because it put a twist on High on Life’s normal flow. It added a bit of mystery and slight creepiness which I really enjoy.
High Level View:
Created in UE5
Layout work and composition
More complex sublevel work to support before and after visiting of certain parts of the level (such as clean and then destroyed)
Level art work in certain areas such as the greenhouse destroyed area, the creepy forest areas, etc.
Worked with the combat designer for various encounters throughout the level
Overcome challenges of trying to keep mechanics interesting while being restricted from using any ‘non-earth’ gameplay abilities from director vision
Work with various outsourcing companies for environment art, especially for Spaceforest Cafe